Apara Ekadasi

The topics of Apara Ekadashi which occures during the wanning moon in the month of May/June is described in Brahmanda Purana in the conversation between Lord Krishna and Maharaj Yudhisthira.

Once Maharaj Yudhisthira asked Lord Krishna O Lord Krishnn O Janardhan what is the name of the Ekadashi that occures during the wanning moon in the month of  May/ June and what is its glories.  Please describe this to me .

Lord Krishna replied O maharaj Yudhisthira you have asked me an intelligent question which is actually benefitial for everyone.  The name of this Ekadashi is Apara.  O king! This Ekadashi awards so much piety to those who observe it and distroys all their sinful reactions.  By observing this Apara Ekadashi many grave sinful activities such as killing a brahmin, killing a cow , killing an embryo through abortion, criticising others, illicit sexlife, speaking lie, giving false witness, bragging others, reciting or teaching vedas for the sake of money and concocting own scripture.  A cheater, a pseudo astrologer and a cheating physician are aslo as sinful as those who give false witness.  All these sinful activities are totally eradicated by observing this Apara Ekadashi.  Any kshtriya who gives up his profession  and runs away from the battle field, certainly falls down from his occupational duties and go to hell.  If such a person observes this Ekadashi with faith also attains the heavenly planet.  Lord Krishna continued O King! A deciple who after receiving knowledge from his spiritual master engages in blashphemeing his spiritual master certainly accumulates great sins.  Such a condemned sinful person can be relieved from his sinful reaction by following the Apara Ekadashi and attain the supreme destination.  O King of Kings ! the result one obtains by taking bath three times at Pushkar in the month of Kartik, the peity one accumulates by taking bath at Prayag in the month of January when the sun enters Capricon, the results one obtain by observing the vow of Shivaratri at Kasi and by offering oblations at the lotus feet of Vishnu at Gaya, and the auspicious results one obtains by taking bath in the river Gautami when the planet Jupiter enters Leo, by visiting Kedarnath during Kumba Mela, by visiting and worshiping Badrinath, by taking bath at Kurukstra during solar eclipse, and by giving elephants horses, cows, gold and land in charity are all obtained easily by observing the vow of Apara Ekadsi.  It is like the sharp axe for cutting down the tree of sinful activities and the blazing forest fire for burning the fuel of sinful activities to ashes.  It is like the brilient son for decipating the darkness born of sinful activities and like the lion to a deer in the for of sinful activities.  O King! By observing this Apara Ekadashi and worshiping Lord Vishnu in his form as Trivikram, a person attains  the all auspicious abode of Lord Vishnu.  Any one who hears or reads the glories of this Ekadashi that I have described to you for the benefit of everyone is relived from all his sinful reactions.